One of the challenges in the mattress industry is creating a mattress that provides comfortable support to all portions of a human body. Due to the unequal distribution of weight along a human body, its contours, and an individual's preferred sleeping position, e.g., side or back, a mattress surface formed from a core of inner springs may sometimes create localized pressure points in some areas, such as shoulders and hips, while lacking support at other areas, such as the back.
One solution has been the development of mattresses pads incorporating a combination of gel and padding, such as foam, layers. Typically the gel/padding mattress pad is a removable and replaceable pad made from a layer of gel sandwiched between two layers of foam or a layer of gel is positioned on top of, or below, a foam layer. The gel layer may be formed from one or more polymer bladders filled with a viscous gel material. Typically, the gel layer extends over the entire width and length of the mattress pad, and conforms to the contours of a body to provide support.
However, these mattress pads have several disadvantages, among them the amount of gel material necessary to manufacture a mattress pad and the weight of such a pad. For example, a gel mattress pad for use with a king size mattress may weigh up to 130 pounds. In addition, the weight and flexibility of a gel/foam pad may make it difficult to properly position and/or reposition the pad over a mattress.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved mattress and/or mattress pad with reduced weight and increased maneuverability.